The Road to First Publication: Author Interview with Camille Di Maio

This is your first novel. When did you actually start writing? What made you decide to write a book inspired by the Beatles song, “Eleanor Rigby”? 
I have wanted to write for as long as I can remember, and wrote stories when I was quite young. As much as I wanted to write a whole book, I didn't believe that I had it in me. Then, I was driving one day, and out of the five thousand songs that shuffled through my iPod, "Eleanor Rigby" came on. I have always loved that song, and my dad used to call it "The Two-Minute Novel,"

This particular time, I thought about the characters - Father McKenzie and Eleanor. Who were they? What if they knew each other? What if they had a history? This last question really sparked my imagination, and I wrote down fifteen plot points, fleshing out the beginning of a full story. Ultimately, the book is not "about" the song - the names of the characters are different, but the story of a priest and this older woman created the idea behind it. And, it is set in Liverpool.

Prior to writing this book, what other writing credits do you have?  
I have written a few things here and there for magazines, but I don't have much by way of a writing resume. I suppose I decided to go big the first real time out!

How long did it take you to write the first draft? Who encouraged you to write?

The first draft took six weeks to write, staying up until 3 and 4 am every night and drinking lots of Dr. Pepper like a good native Texan girl. We have four children, and my husband, Rob, was a champ changing diapers, doing dishes, and losing me to writing during that time period. 

Other supports beside my husband were my parents. My mom lived through my early short stories and drilled a good vocabulary in to me. Some of the most fun on this journey has been sharing it with my dad, who wears his heart on his sleeve.

How many rewrites did you do? 

Now, in its published form, I'd say it's about fifteen drafts in, and I learned so much with each one. 

Did you have beta readers? Who helped you with the editing? 

Although many of my friends beta-read it, it was all self-edited until I got an agent, and she referred me to a great freelance editor named Catherine Knepper. After Lake Union Publishing purchased it, it went through the standard developmental editing process with an editor named David Downing. It was very interesting to have their different perspectives, but both were very insistent on it still being my voice.

How did you go about finding an agent? How many sources did you pitch? What type of feedback did you get? From the time your manuscript was delivered to the publisher, how long did it take to get an acceptance?
I made some rookie mistakes early on. Of course, I thought my first draft was all wrapped up and ready to go, so I started sending it out to many agents. After about forty rejections, I had to face the fact that it was not, in fact, ready to go, and that I had a lot to learn. Most of my rejections were the standard, canned email responses. "Not a fit for me." I set out to attend several writing conferences and classes, really learning the craft. I also learned that I had gone about querying agents in the wrong way - I had just sent email after email without really researching the person. 

What did you do next?

Once I had the manuscript very polished - this was several years later - I decided I was ready to query agents again. I took my time to research six of them, and two asked for full manuscripts! What I did right this time was to read their bios, see if they represented my genre, tell them why it was a fit, how it was like other books they represented, etc. I also decided to sell myself a bit - I have had great success in my real estate business, which has a lot to do with marketing. So, I told them that I was confident that I could take that experience and turn it in to successful selling of my book if they would take me on. 

How did you finally get your agent?

I ended up getting a contract from Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency in California. She has had great success with both fiction and non-fiction, and I was sure that we would "click". I was very excited when she asked for the first fifty pages, then a full, then she called me with an offer for a contract! It was one of the best days of my life. I think the rejection rate from agents is about 94%, and I believe that it is harder to get an agent than a publisher. Because, it's hard to get a good agent. But, if you do, it's because they're confident that they can sell it. That's the hardest door to get through in my opinion. Jill was an amazing partner through the process - I took her suggestions to heart, and it was only a couple of months before we knew that several publishers were interested.

Tell me about the process. How many changes did you have to do?
There were a lot of changes from first draft to finished product. The biggest change came after someone close to me committed suicide - the feelings there helped me explore the darker side of emotions, and I realized that my manuscript was lacking that particular depth. I worked through those feelings and changed the beginning of the book from something quite flighty to something with a lot of gravity. 

Another big change was my agent pushing me to rewrite something in the book that depended on a rather large coincidence. So, while on a walk with my husband, I bounced some thoughts off of him, and he said something that really broke open what I needed to do to change that scene - and it is so, so much better for it. 

The final big change was the ending. I'm a fan of tragic British books, Jane Eyre being a favorite. Again, my agent pointed out where my original ending needed some work. The new ending came about at breakfast with my dad - again, I was bouncing ideas off of him, and we had a great brainstorming session. In fact, that's one thing I learned more than anything else - writing is not a solitary event. I may be the one with my name on the front cover, but much has come from inspiration that others gave me. I now understand the reality of Acknowledgment sections at the back of books! In fact, it's the first thing I read when I start a book.

How do you write? Did you do an outline first? Did you do individual character development before doing the full plot?
I have a basic idea of where things are going in a story, but I'm not a plotter. I see picture boards of some of the walls of post it notes that authors far more organized that I am create. I just can't work that way. I need to feel things as I write them, and some of the best things I've written were not part of anything I'd originally planned. I also tend to be story-driven rather than character-driven. So, I write the story, and then go back and see how I can fill in the characters and give them greater dimensions.

What type of publicity do you expect your publisher to do in promoting your book? 
This will be a new chapter for me, so to speak! My agent told me that Lake Union Publishing (an imprint of Amazon) is particularly great at marketing, and based on other authors I've spoken to, this really seems to be the case. The book will be released in May, so we'll be having more serious publicity discussions in the next few weeks. 

What plans do you have to promote your book? How active are you with social media? 

I have gotten very active on social media - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., and had someone build a website for me. I've also printed 5x7 cards with information about the book so that I'll have that to hand out if I end up in conversation with someone about it. Just the other day, I got in to conversation with a cashier at Trader Joe's, and he wrote the name of the book down because he wants to order it for his girlfriend. Same with a new hairdresser I went to. It's natural for people to ask what you do for a living, and there seems to be some sort of fascination when you tell people that you're a writer! I like that kind of publicity. Just visiting with people, face to face.

What do you know now about writing that you wished you had learned sooner?
I wish I had known more about the craft of writing, although I would caution other young writers to find their voice before "learning" too much. I think you can also take so many classes that you kill your own creativity trying to follow "the rules". I wish I had known how much authors struggle. This image of having daily inspiration and words just flowing from your fingers is a myth. 

The VAST majority of the writing process is staring at a blank screen, struggling over a particular word, feeling like a failure, wanting to trash your own work. Then, there are those brief and glorious moments where you type out something brilliant and you love what you do again. But like anything else, writing is hard, hard work, and takes a lot of dedication. 

If I had known this earlier on, I would have written more sooner. I thought that since I wasn't just full of inspiration, then maybe I wasn't really a writer. What I was missing was the component of just being committed to it regardless of how I was "feeling".

Is this a stand alone book or are you planning a sequel or prequel for any of your characters?The Memory of Us is a stand-alone book, although there are two minor characters whose stories have been almost begging me to tell. So, maybe that will come along in the future. In the meantime, I've turned in book #2 to my agent and editor, so I'm waiting to hear if they're going to pick that up! I should know very soon. It's set in Texas and is a book about two sisters. I have an idea for book #3, and I can't wait to get started on that one. It's set in New York, and follows a family through an important part of that city's history. That one is just an idea, though, for now.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?
The most encouraging thing I ever heard is from a very successful writer of historical fiction. She said that each of her books goes through about thirty drafts. It helped me realized the commitment that a writer must have, the humility to make mistakes and receive critiques, and the patience it takes to get it done. 

My other inspiration was reading about Stephenie Meyer, who wrote the Twilight series. She wrote that while at swim team practice with her kids. I have four children. It was a turning point for me where I said, "If she can do it, I can do it."

That's it for today's interview. If you would like to pre-order the book, here's how to do it: http://amzn.to/1P1JhmO

Other links for the author
Author's website: www.CamilleDiMaio.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/camilledimaio.author
Instagram: camilledimaio_author
Twitter: camilledimaio

Affairs of the Heart at Versailles: Author Interview with Sally Christie

What drew you to writing historical romance/intrigue?
I’ve been a history nut since forever, and I’d say 80% of everything that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot!) has been history, either fiction or non-fiction.

Was there a specific author that you read that made you think, ”I could write that’?
I’ve been inspired by a lot of authors, and I have a very vivid memory from about 10 years ago: I read Emma Donoghue’s Slammerkin and I got this intense, jealous feeling, thinking: But that was the book I wanted to write!

Why the time frame of Louis XV?
Before I started research for The Sisters of Versailles, Louis XV and 18th century Versailles were not core interests of mine, but as I got sucked into the research I developed a passion for that era: simply a fascinating time.

Tell me about the process for your Versailles trilogy.
Thanks to Google Books, 99% of the research material I needed was online, including memoirs of the day, secondary sources, original newspapers, etc, etc. I’m fluent in French, which was very useful as many of the sources have not been translated. I also visited Paris and the sisters’ childhood home, and went “behind the scenes” at Versailles – invaluable in giving me a granular feel for what life at Versailles was really like.

What are some of the more difficult aspects of writing historical novel?
The biggest challenge, research-wise, was that virtually every major event in the sisters’ lives had 2 or 3 different versions associated with it. If I had tackled a non-fiction account, I would have spent a lot of time evaluating various scenarios against the probable truth. Writing a novel, I had more liberty to choose the version of events that made the most sense, both to me as a historian and for the story’s sake.

How much “artistic license” do you use in creating locations for your stories?
In The Sisters of Versailles there is quite a bit of artistic license because so little is known about them – I took nuggets of real events and spun stories about them. Writing the second book in the series, about the fascinating Madame de Pompadour, is a very different experience – she is a very well documented figure (though somehow manages to remain quite the enigma!)

How did you go about finding a publisher? Did you pitch agents?
My process was fairly “old school”: I finished the book and pitched agents in batches of five. Got interest in the second batch, thank goodness, because no matter how much you try to prepare yourself, the querying process is painful. After several rewrites (see below) we went out on submission and Atria picked it up in the first round.

Was it sold as a 3 book deal?
Yes, we sold it as a trilogy – I hadn’t initially thought about the book as part of a series, but that’s definitely something that is selling well these days. I was really surprised to find that neither the Marquise de Pompadour or the Comtesse du Barry (protagonists of the next 2 books in the series) had been the subject of any recent English fiction, and so… voila! The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy was born.

What should new authors consider before signing a book contract?
I’m not sure I’m in a great position to answer that as I consider myself a new author too. I have to say having an agent is invaluable – I felt completely comfortable leaving the contract in his hands and leaving him to go to bat for me.

How long did it take you to write your first book? How many rewrites did you do on it?
The first draft of The Sisters of Versailles took about 6 months – it just came gushing out! My agent didn’t sign me immediately - he saw something he liked in the original draft but felt it needed too much work for him to take on. He invited me to revise and resubmit, and recommended an editor that I might like to use. I jumped at the chance (she usually only works by referral) and it was an amazing experience – she stripped the book down and then we built it back up again. Based on the that draft my agent signed me. He had a few more changes to make, and then after selling the book to Atria there were additional modifications and changes, but nothing major.

I am a huge believer in outside help and the more hands, the merrier. I think there is a perception amongst new writers that you risk losing “your” work or “your” vision during the editorial process, but really, you don’t. It’s still your story, your voice, but there are many different structures or ways to tell a story, and a good editor will help you find the best one. I think it’s really hard to self-edit, if not impossible.

Have other novels been started and stopped along the way?
I’ve been writing since I was 10, but never finished anything; it was just a hobby I enjoyed. A few years ago I gave myself a year off, to FINALLY finish one of the many books I’d started – I had a list of 5 projects I wanted to complete during that time (ambitious, yes!). But all those other projects were left by the wayside when I stumbled across the Mailly Nesle sisters and jumped into their story.

How long did it take you to write the second and third book?
The writing for the second and third books is taking about the same amount of time but it’s a more streamlined process, as I have a better idea of what the end result should be.

What is your writing process?
I basically submerge myself in research for several months, read all available sources, jot down notes and ideas, muse about the characters, and identify key events that will become chapters or scenes. By the end of that period I am chomping at the bit, ready to get started with the writing! Research continues along the way, of course, as I deep dive into different areas.

When I’m ready to write I start up Scrivener and create separate files for each chapter / scene: it’s a very handy tool that enables you to flick back and forth between parts of the manuscript. I’m a very iterative writer; I never write linearly and I am constantly circling back and forth between chapters and scenes. When I sit down to write a scene, I only have a vague idea of what’s going to happen in it, and I love those days when my creativity is on fire and I go to strange and wonderful places that I never expected!

What do you know now about writing/publishing that you wished you had known sooner?
I was a little asleep at the wheel during the copy edit phase, which is basically the first time line edits come back to you. The publishers make their ARCs (advanced reading copies) based on the draft after the copy edits. I didn’t quite understand that (wasn’t even sure what an ARC was!), and I was fairly horrified at some of the mistakes in the ARC (that I later fixed during subsequent editing phases).

So this time I am going to be paying a lot of attention during the first copy edit and make sure that the ARC for my next book, The Rivals of Versailles, is better.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book?
I’m only a few weeks into my publishing adventure, so I am not sure I have good advice there! Before the books, I was not heavily into social media but I’ve really been enjoying it so far. The whole world of book blogging is AMAZING – I signed up for several virtual tours. I also love Goodreads, which I only discovered once I became an author. I like reading reviews, even negative ones: once a book is sold to a publishing house, it’s basically surrounded by fans and supporters, so it’s really interesting, once it gets out into the real world, to see what people liked and didn’t like.

What is the best advice you've learned about writing that you’d like to pass along?
I think everyone has a very different writing process. For me, personally, most of my first pass is really crappy. It can be quite depressing. But my mantra is: You can’t improve something that doesn’t exist. So just get it out, no matter how awful it is, and then the improving and the polishing can start…

And I really liked this piece of advice I read a few years ago: write the book you want to read. For me, The Sisters of Versailles is that book. I really love it. That’s fairly Lady Obvious, but it’s true!

That's it for today's interview. If you'd like to know more about the intrigue in the courts of Versailles, here's your options.

Website: www.sallychristieauthor.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sallychristieauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallychristie52/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13854110.Sally_Christie

Yes, You Can - Writing Challenge Day 12

Today I would like to report on the Periodical challenge that I mentioned two days ago. I sent my revised first draft to a fellow writer to review last night and got it back today. She told me I had buried the lead and it had to be re-written. This is someone whom I trust. We've gotten past the nice platitudes of just saying "you're a great writer" and pointing out a few grammatical errors. We now feel free to honestly give ideas for improvement. Or in this case, going as far as saying this story doesn't work.

I have a few people who will do this for me and I really appreciate it. I need to know how to improve. As an example, I sent out a story that had been rejected to another writer who truly enjoys editing. She reviewed it according to the writer's guidelines and sent it back to me.There were notes and suggestions all over it. She even took the time to do a bit of rewriting. Seeing her review, I now had a better idea of the reasons why it might have been rejected.

This brings me back to the periodical challenge. As part of the challenge I read several past stories from the features section I was targeting before I wrote the article. I thought I had a good idea of what the story should be about. Then I wrote the story in the way I wanted to cover it. There's where the problem came in. I was writing for me and not the way the editor likes to have a story written.

I went back and read four past stories. I did detailed outlines for each of them. I now realized how much I had missed the mark. Here's the format for the story. Begin with stating the problem or situation that needs to be solved. Then you give details about the characters. Next step is the planning stage of how to make the change. Next the changes begin, and some tension or minor conflict occurs. Lastly there is a resolution and achievement of the goal. It all wrapped up in a final hook that ties into the title.

After reading this outline, I realized it is a typical format for writing children's stories. You begin with a problem that gives the reader a reason to get involved with the story. The attempts to solve get the reader wondering what will happen next and keep them involved. The tension keeps a story building and the pages turning until the denouement and final take away of the story. So now it's time to go back and write some more.